President Barack Obama is expected to embark on a two-day bus tour next week to both New York and Pennsylvania where he’ll “discuss another cornerstone of his vision for a better bargain for the middle class,” a White House official told a pool reporter.

Obama will travel through the two states on Aug. 22-23. Politico’s Maggie Haberman, citing sources familiar with Obama’s plans, said the President will deliver the remarks in upstate New York.

Officials from the Missouri State Fair are busy putting out fires after the organizers of the fair’s bull riding exhibit brought a clown in an Obama mask into the ring and goaded the bull into chasing him around the enclosure.

Videos of the racially-charged incident began circulating across local news organizations shortly after it took place on Saturday evening, and public consternation was quickly followed by condemnations from Republican Party officials and lawmakers across the state. Officials from the state fair issued a public statement via its Facebook page on Sunday evening, calling the performance “inappropriate and disrespectful.”

Vice President Joe Biden is expected to deliver the keynote address at Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-IA) annual steak fry this year in Iowa, The Des Moines Register reported. A Biden spokesperson told the Register that Biden has intended to attend the event, one of the biggest fundraisers for the Democratic Party in the Hawkeye State, ever since he was unable to make it last year.

San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro, who delivered the keynote address at last year’s Democratic National Convention, is also expected to attend the steak fry, scheduled to be held Sept.15, in Indianola, Iowa.

When Anastasia Tolmasoff went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in March to receive her quarterly injection of Depo-Provera, she discovered she could no longer afford to receive birth control there. “I’m living paycheck to paycheck, so getting pregnant and having another child is not an option for me,” said Tolmasoff, 33, who rehabilitates wildlife at a nonprofit organization. She and her husband cannot afford health insurance. Tolmasoff is one of thousands of women affected by the Texas Legislature’s 2011 decisions to drastically cut family planning financing and remove “abortion affiliated providers” — namely, Planned Parenthood — from state health programs.

In its 2013 session, the Legislature sought to mitigate the impact of those cuts with the largest financial package for women’s health services in state history, increasing spending to $214 million in the 2014-15 budget from $109 million. Still, women’s health advocates have raised concerns that the financing does not go far enough. Moreover, some advocates argue that strict abortion regulations approved during a special session will create additional burdens on women already struggling to access contraception……

don’t think that’s very accurate though. reagan’s share is way more than that when adjusted for inflation, and doesn’t seem to take into account how president obama’s share is greatly affected by the the previous republican presidents, especially reagan, leaving him massive interest payments each year from their debt creation. clinton and president obama are by far the most fiscally responsible presidents in the past 30+ years, when all factors are weighed fairly.

While the deniers in Congress get their unicorn awards, our strong environmentalists in the Oregon delegation will get some positive reinforcement. We are trying to help them change the conversation in Congress so legislation to protect President Obama’s progress and extend it will some sort of carbon fee may eventually pass.

Yea but something like Dick Cheney can get another heart without any trouble. Where is the religous right fighting for this kid’s life. Once again proof that they only give a dam when you are a unborn baby, once you’re born who cares, they don’t.

This is outrageous! Especially when Micky Mantle and other high profile celebrities get organ transplants when they have abused their own bodies with alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Are you telling me they made wise choices?
I have nothing perso ally against MM, but when you violate your own body why should your money and social staus entitle you?
I guess I know the answers to these questions. I just had to vent….
Thank you TODers for listening.

Hey Dudette,
When Darth Cheney received his heart transplant, at the time I said — so some young 15 year old who has a chance at a real life, won’t get a heart because this evil doer can afford to get to the front of the line and get a brand new transplant.
In my mind, THIS is the young face I saw!

Sorry for the long silence. Busy busy with Action August and school starting next week.

I will be on an OFA Leader call at 7 PST and we will be discussing how our efforts are already paying off.

Here is the info – OFA and all of you ROCK

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On Thursday, following a press event near his office in Tracy and OFA volunteers attending a Chamber of Commerce event in Modesto, CA10 Rep. Jeff Denham came out in support of the Senate immigration bill. He was one of five GOP congressmen to do so last week in the wake of Action August events everywhere in their districts. Just today, another came out in support, Joe Heck of Nevada. IT’S WORKING.

Testing you too LL. 🙂 Good Evening everyone. If you watched Eric Holder today, he was really good and felt, this whole analysis has been in the works for a long long time. All of this takes time, but, same as the charges on the bankers it’s all coming down, watch & see.

Howdy LL (& the missus)! You peeked in in time to hear that the big birthday bash for you-know-who is tomorrow. Enough time for you to stop on the way home from work to pick up a unique gift and a card! I’ll be looking out for you. 😛

In the meantime, the International Olympic Committee is coming under pressure to take a tougher line and demand that Russia respect the Olympic Charter’s rules against discrimination.One senior IOC member even suggested taking the games away from Russia if no solution is found.

“They have accepted the words of the Olympic Charter and the host city contract, so either they respect it or we have to say goodbye to them,” said Gerhard Heiberg of Norway. Heiberg, who organized the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and is chairman of the IOC marketing commission, said the IOC should stay out of domestic Russian politics, but must be firm on what happens during the Sochi Games.

Senior IOC member on taking Winter Olympics away http://t.co/UlKLkOm8vv “Russia accepted words of the Charter..so respect it or say goodbye”

Interesting—–study of induced or accelerated labor links to autism. (Duke U.) Results seem hazy and require further study but the pediatrics publication did state there was an increased risk of autism for children born to these moms, especially affecting boys.

Thanks to your phone calls, emails and tweets, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the historic School Success and Opportunity Act into law, ensuring transgender youth have the opportunity to fully participate and succeed in schools across the state!

Assembly Bill 1266, authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, is the first of its kind in the country, and requires that California public schools respect students’ gender identity and makes sure that students can fully participate in all school activities, sports teams, programs and facilities that match their gender identity.

We commend Governor Brown for standing up for transgender equality, as well as the elected officials, advocates and transgender youth who have demonstrated inspirational leadership to ensure this bill’s passage.

Co-authored by Senators Mark Leno and Ricardo Lara and Assemblymember Toni Atkins, the bill is backed by a coalition of organizations including Equality California, Transgender Law Center, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Gender Spectrum, ACLU of California, National Center for Lesbian Rights, statewide teacher and parent organizations, and dozens of other organizations.

My goal is to visit London next summer, “if the Lord says the same” (it’s an old saying from NOLA meaning if I still alive or still able). I’ll be sure to have my stalking map designed for Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender…lol

Forget the “still able” – if you are alive – visit – there is no town like London Town – it is everything you ever wanted it to be. Only time I ever regretted my ancestors emigrating was when I spent a year in London. 🙂

Admittedly I’m def a movie person especially in the summer. During the fall/spring though, I still see a number of movies, but it’s Fall television season.

So far I have a pretty full slate of returning shows I plan to watch: Luther (of course!!), Person of Interest, Elementary, coupla sitcoms, Body of Proof and others.

So far, I haven’t heard of any new shows that I’m thinking I should give a try this upcoming season, but it is still kinda early, but with school starting and next month being September, it’s almost time.

So any new Fall television shows anybody looking forward to checking out.

Or what returning shows are ya’ll waiting for that ya’ll think I should try to catch up on.

Confessing I’d never heard of this playwright before I stumbled across this link on twitter….

Historic Tribute to August Wilson
An all-star cast will record the acclaimed playwright’s 10-play “Century Cycle” for the first time ever.

By: Julia Chance | Posted: August 12, 2013 at 12:38 AM

By the time August Wilson passed away in 2005, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright had completed a profound body of work that has left an indelible mark on black culture, American literature and Broadway. Now in a historic event, his series of 10 plays, each chronicling a decade of the African-American experience during the 20th century, will be recorded for the first time ever.

Titled August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, the groundbreaking series brings together a stellar group of actors, directors and other talents — many of whom worked with Wilson — for live staged readings and recordings of the playwright’s dramas at New York Public Radio’s the Greene Space. They include actors Phylicia Rashad, Leslie Uggams, Keith David, S. Epatha Merkerson, Wendell Pierce and Taraji P. Henson (in her Wilson debut) as well as theater directors Michele Shay and Kenny Leon, artistic director Ruben Santiago-Hudson and associate director Stephen McKinley Henderson. The readings will be scored with original music by Grammy-nominated composer Bill Sims Jr. and other composers who worked with Wilson, and the plays will appear in the order in which they premiered, starting with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and ending with Radio Golf. There will also be a talk series, giving audiences a deeper look at Wilson’s plays, the themes he explored in his works and the historic relationships he formed with his artistic collaborators.

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I’ve been lucky enough to see productions of all except: King Hedley, Seven Guitars, Joe Turner’s Come & Gone, and Gem of the Ocean. I got to see Fences with James Earl Jones & Mary Alice back in the day (oh, I’m just squealing with excitement from the memory of that)! Viola Davis & Denzel won Tony awards for their performances in the 2010 revival on Broadway. Gosh, I wish I could’ve seen them. Wow, I can’t wait to see/hear the recordings!! Wooooot!!!

Lucky indeed, D-ette! Of course, I haven’t seen any of the plays but I’m going to be on the alert to spot the recordings if they come in my direction. The idea of each play representing a decade sounds interesting.